Another GST rate tweaking may be in the works as govt hints at reviewing levies in top 28% bracket

After slashing the Goods and Sales Tax (GST) rates of over 200 items last month, the government on Saturday hinted at reviewing levies on the items in the top 28 percent tax bracket.

On 10 November, the GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, had lowered GST rates on over 200 items, ranging from chewing gum to chocolates, to beauty products, wigs and wrist watches.

As many as 178 items of daily use were shifted from the top tax bracket of 28 percent to 18 percent, and a uniform 5 percent tax was prescribed for both air-conditioned and non- AC restaurants.

“We have already reduced GST slabs of 12 percent to 5 percent and 5 percent to zero percent (on six items). Going forward, we may look at reviewing the 28 percent slab,” Union Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said at an event here on Saturday evening.

Following this major rejig in GST rates, Jaitley had hinted at a further scope for rationalisation of rates.The GST Council had also pruned the list of items in the top 28 percent slab to just 50 from 228 earlier.

“In four months, we have rationalised the 28 percent slab. Such rationalisation (will happen in future) depending on revenue buoyancy,” Jaitley said at an event last month.

Shukla said by March next year, the government will ensure that all the processes under the GST are simplified.

The GST, a landmark tax reform which subsumed a host of central and state levies, came into force on July 1